2 days Ago
Some of the best amateur golfers in the world arrived in North Augusta on March 30. This is the sixth year that North Augusta has hosted the lady golfers, the Crowne Plaza having been their host hotel since it opened early in 2019, the year of the first Augusta National Women’s Amateur. “It’s a real honor because this is a worldwide golf tournament that’s grown in the last few years,” Greg Greenawalt, the Crowne’s general manager, said.
“You have the top women amateurs from every major college and university in the United States playing here and then the amateurs from France and Spain and Japan and all over the world.” Greenawalt lit up with the memory of 2022 when Anna Davis took the tournament. “You’re talking about senior golfers from Michigan State, Florida State, Texas A&M and Stanford and all over the country and all of these amateurs from around the world, and a 16-year-old high school girl beat them all.
” Davis, now 19, is playing this year, too. The ANWA runs April 2-5 and except for the final round is played at Champions Retreat in Evans, Ga. The last 18 holes have the ladies at Augusta National.
North Augusta Mayor Briton Williams walks up to welcome Minnesota's Isabella McCauley, who is playing in her first ANWA this year. “I’m really just excited for this whole week, the whole experience,” Isabella McCauley said. McCauley is a junior at the University of Minnesota, and though she was a national finalist in the Drive, Chip and Putt in both 2017 and 2018, this is her first year playing the full course as part the ANWA.
McCauley said she’s excited for Amer Corner. And the merch: “I’m excited for the Pro Shop, too! Excited to get some gear.” “It’s a treat to be out here,” Southern California’s Bailey Shoemaker said.
“We’re so blessed and grateful for that.” Shoemaker and teammate Catherine Park agreed that the end-of-week debrief is something they’re looking forward to. “Debriefing every hole and every shot, just talking about it,” Park said, remembering this same week, one year ago: “For me, it was my first year playing Augusta and my first time seeing it, so it was just like ‘oh my God’ and surreal.
” The lady golfers in this year's ANWA arrived at the Crowne Plaza in North Augusta March 30. The Crowne has hosted the women since it opened (and the tournament began) in 2019. Amanda Sambach, from the University of Virginia, is playing her fifth ANWA this year.
“Enjoy the week, take it all in,” she said. “It’s a familiar feel.” Sambach said it was her dad who introduced her to golf when she was 7 years old.
“I just really enjoyed getting to spend time with my dad and also grow my game with him,” she said. “It was really special to me.” North Augusta Mayor Briton Williams and members of the city council were at the Crowne from 3-9 p.
m. March 30, helping unload bags and either welcome the ladies back or welcome them to their first time here. “In the South, we believe in hospitality,” Williams said.
“And I think it’s a big deal that the Augusta National — they could go a lot of places, and they like North Augusta. They love Riverside Village, the setting, the safety.” Outside of playing the tournament, Virginia’s Sambach said it’s the Saturday ballgame at SRP Park that she’s looking forward to most, plus the different restaurants (“I’m a foodie,” she said).
Rio Cantina was her first stop after checking into the Crowne..
